


Sickbug

by Aki (Akiko_Natsuko)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Realization, Revelations, Secret Identity, Secrets, Sick Character, Sickfic, Trust, Truth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 10:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17364374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Aki
Summary: “M-Milady, what do you want me to do?” He asks urgently, aware that there’s no way she can get home alone in her current state and he wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if he left her out here, even if it was just long enough for their Miraculous’ to recharge. “You’re nearly out of time…and…” And I want to see you, but I don’t know if that’s what you want…





	Sickbug

   Green eyes narrowed with concern as rather than landing with her usual grace, Ladybug stumbled as she hit the ground, and if he hadn’t flung himself forward to catch her, she would probably have face planted. If that wasn’t concerning enough she made no effort to yank herself out of his arms like she usually did, generally under cover of an awkward laugh or a stern expression, but today he could have sworn that she was leaning into him, and his concern spiked even as he tightened his hold on her. She felt warmer to the touch than she should’ve, and his eyes narrowed as he reached up to brush his fingers against her forehead, not liking the fact that he could feel her temperature through his suit, something unpleasant beginning to coil in the pit of his stomach.

“Milady?” He asked anxiously, and his voice seemed to snap her out of her daze, her expression clearing although she was still slow to try and pull herself out of his hold, and he immediately had to grab her arm to steady her when she swayed, and his voice came out sharper than intended as he demanded. “What are you doing here?” _Okay, stupid question_ , he promptly admitted to himself, realising that the kid that was the reason for them both being out was still down below ranting about goodness knows what, but right now he can’t focus on anything except the fact that his Lady is blatantly ill. _Milady you’re always going too far…_

“Akuma…” Ladybug whispered as though that explained everything, and in a way, he supposes it does. Neither of them had ever turned their back on an Akuma before, regardless of what else was going on in their lives, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to let her de-evilise the thing. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s happy about it, and his ears lay flat against his head as he tries to protest.

“I know, but…”

   He realises that her usual stubbornness has kicked in a split second before she’s pulled away from him, and she’s already swinging down to the road below before he covers. Muttering a curse, he follows her, barely managing to get there in time to push her out of the way of the Akumatised kid’s camera, suppressing a shiver as he hears the lens click a second too late to catch them. Realising that Ladybug’s struggling to focus he charges forward with a shout. At least he knows how to be a distraction, even if he doesn’t know how to stop his Lady when she gets like this. It’s harder than normal to dodge the Akuma’s attacks as he’s hyper-aware that Ladybug has joined the fight, her movements sluggish compared to normal and he feels like his heart is about to give out from stress as attack after attack barely miss her. It’s a fear that is made ten times worse when they finally realise what the Akuma’s power is…she’s revealing secrets, and the camera clutched tightly in her hands is her access to those deepest, darkest parts of a person’s soul.

   A single photo will reveal the person’s largest secret, no matter how deeply it is buried and at that revelation, they both share a panicked glance, both aware of what their biggest secret is, and it is Chat Noir who moves first. His baton knocks the camera to the side when it swings back in their direction, and then he’s running, wrapping an arm around his Lady not trusting her to be fast enough this time and ignoring her protests he swings them both up onto the rooftop so that they’re out of sight for a couple of minutes.

“Milady,” He says breathing heavily, turning to look at her and scowling when he realises that she’s nearly doubled over as she sucks in desperate breaths and he has a feeling that if he went across and checked her temperature now, it would be through the roof. “You need to…” _Rest…go home…be more careful…think about yourself for once…_ There are too many things he wants to tell her, but now isn’t the time and his thoughts are spiralling, not sure how to fix the situation.

“We need to stop her…she might not be the most dangerous one we’ve faced…but…” Ladybug is clearly struggling to keep her words together, and for a moment he is reminded of Marinette in class whenever she speaks to him. It doesn’t match his Lady, and he frowns in concern as she gestures helplessly towards Revealer who has just turned her camera on another innocent bystander, clearly hoping that he can understand without words and he does, although he wishes that he could feign ignorance and get her home before she collapses completely. “I…”

“Milady…”

“Lucky Charm!” The familiar cry cuts him off, and he sighs although he is at least relieved by the thought that they should be able to wrap this up soon. He’s just contemplating how on earth they’re going to get her home, bearing in mind that he doesn’t know who she is or where she lives when he is distracted by the sight of her snatching a large folded blanket out of the air. “A blanket?” Ladybug asked utterly confused, and she wavers for a minute before glancing around, and he finds himself leaning forward and waiting for the moment that her face lights up with understanding. It’s one of his favourite expressions. However, it doesn’t appear this time. Instead, she seems to lose the remaining colour from her face before she squeezes her eyes shut, clutching the blanket to her chest as she mutters desperately. “Stop spinning…stop spinning…”

“All right Milady,” Chat Noir says grasping her gently before she can fall, not sure that he can trust her to catch herself if she slips off the roof, and not liking the way she immediately leans against him without a quip or even a mutter of protest. “I think I know what to do this time.” _I hope…_

“What?” She asks blinking at him in confusion, and he tries not to be offended by the surprise visible in her eyes. Instead, he gently tugs her across to the chimney, glad that its summer and therefore there’s no fires or smoke to worry about, carefully easing her down to the floor and tugging the blanket out of her hands. “Chat?” She asks, and there’s a hint of her normal tone this time, and he flashes her a brief grin before spreading the blanket and tucking it around her, noting the way she is barely resisting the urge to snuggle against it.

“You’re going to snuggle up under that and let me take care of the fighting,” he replies, at last, realising that she is still waiting for his answer and he catches the way her eyes narrow at his words.

“But…”

“You’re in no state to fight,” He cuts across her with all the sternness of a parent, and for a moment she just blinks up at him in confusion, he’s never used that tone before, but somehow with the soft purr underlying the words, the thought of defying him seems impossible. “Just let me handle things this time. Okay?” _Please say yes_ , he’s a little surprised she hasn’t scolded him for his tone yet, and he really doesn’t want to argue with her and not just because he’s ill. But he can’t stay silent, because he doesn’t want her getting hurt because she’s not feeling well, it’s bad enough when she’s at the top of her game and…his whirling thoughts are brought to a skidding halt by her soft agreement.

“Okay.”

   It takes him a moment, probably longer than it should to realise that she has just agreed with him and that she’s snuggling against the chimney and wrapping the blanket around herself, and he can’t help the happy purr that escapes. _She agreed_ …He can tell that it’s costing her to accept the fact that she’s going to be sitting this one out, and it warms him to realise that she’s only doing it because of him…because he asked…because she trusts him? Despite the situation and his concern for his Lady he feels a small smile creeping onto his face, and there’s a hint of his usual humour in his voice when he pats her on the head before stepping back with a small bow and a flourish.

“Stay put Bugaboo I’ll be right back!”

“’Kay.” He’s not entirely sure that she’s fully aware of what he said, as she usually would have vocally protested the nickname, but he’s satisfied that she’s going to stay where she is for the time being. Although he’s not sure that it’s by choice, and with a last worried glance he’s gone, determined to end this as soon as possible.

   It’s both harder and easier than usual to get to the Akumatised item. Harder because he’s so used to being part of a team, to having the beloved red and black visible in the corner of his eye and he finds himself looking for instinctively and mewing dejectedly as he’s reminded that she isn’t there. At the same time, it’s easier because he’s never been so focused. There’s no time for his usual puns and playing around, not when his Lady is up there waiting for him and in desperate need of doing nothing more than going home to rest. _Milady_ … There’s more than a hint of smugness when he manages to snatch the blasted camera, although he has to admit he’s a little shaken at how close Revealer came to getting his picture…but still he got it, and now they can just sort the Akuma, and his Lady can get home to bed. Ignoring the wailing girl who’s trying to retrieve the camera he uses his baton to launch himself upwards, scrambling up the rest of the wall and onto the roof.

“Ladybug!” He winces when Ladybug jolts violently at his shout having clearly been close to sleep, but before he can apologise her eyes have landed on the camera in his hands, and at once she’s forcing herself back to her feet, the blanket pooling at her feet. “Milady,” he says in warning, not liking how unsteady she seems, but they don’t have time to waste, so he forces himself to smash the camera, watching as despite her current state she swiftly catches the dark butterfly that escapes although she doesn’t bid it farewell as it flies off. He’s already moving towards her when he snatches the blanket and throws it skywards.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” He can feel the power of her lucky charm washing over him and the world around them, and he knew that if he looked down the girl would be back to normal, but his attention is on his partner who is pitching forwards now that her duty is done. With an alarmed cry, he shoots forward, just managing to catch her before she can hit the ground and he scoops her into a princess carry before sinking to the ground.

“I don’t feel so good,” her voice is barely audible, and he fights the urge to laugh at the most obvious statement he has heard all evening. _I think you probably feel terrible_ …He feels like correcting her, but before the words can leave his lips his attention is drawn to her earrings, and he pales as he realises that her time is running out. His probably is too, but he can’t bring himself to care about that at the moment. From the way her eyes have widened she’s aware of the problem too, but she isn’t making any move to escape, and after a moment her eyes slipped shut and she pressed closer to him, seemingly unaware of the acrobatics his stomach was doing at the action.

“M-Milady, what do you want me to do?” He asks urgently, aware that there’s no way she can get home alone in her current state and he wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if he left her out here, even if it was just long enough for their Miraculous’ to recharge. “You’re nearly out of time…and…” _And I want to see you, but I don’t know if that’s what you want_ … He had been fantasising about them revealing their real identities for months now, regardless of Plagg’s cautionary words, but he wanted her to want it as well, and at the moment it felt like the choice was being taken completely out of her hands.

“It’s okay…I trust you,” Ladybug whispered, eyes opening just enough to peer up at him, and he found himself swallowing at the sheer amount of faith he could see in her eyes. Deep down he had known that she trusted him, they would never have been able to fight so well together if they didn’t trust one another and she had agreed to let him take care of things earlier. But this was something more, and there was a warmth in his chest as she snuggled closer to him with a small sigh. “Just… don’t be too disappointed…” _Please…_ she knew that she should probably be more concerned about the fact that she was about to reveal her identity, but it was getting harder and harder to marshal her thoughts into any semblance of order, and she had meant her words, she did trust him, and he was warm and safe. The world was spinning around her now, and she squeezed her eyes shut against it, trusting him to look after her.

_Chat Noir…I trust you more than anyone…_

“Milady?” He asked, not liking the fact that she doubted herself, but that morphed into fresh concern when he realised that she had fallen asleep completely this time. “Milady?!” She didn’t stir in the slightest, even when he shook her lightly and after a moment he abandoned his efforts and settled for holding her tightly, eyes intent on her earrings as the last spot began to flash. _Disappointed? How could I ever be disappointed in you?_

   The light that washed over her when the transformation ended was blinding, and he found himself slamming his eyes shut even as he felt his own transformation coming to an end at the same time. He waited until he felt Plagg sinking against his shoulder before slowly, cautiously easing his eyes open, feeling as though he was about to break some kind of magic spell, and his breath caught in his throat as he found himself staring down at his Lady…at Marinette? _Marinette…it’s Marinette…_ He felt an insane urge to laugh as he reached out a trembling hand to brush his fingers against her cheek, although the urge vanished as he felt the heat coming from her skin. It made sense now. She had been sent home that morning, after being scolded for coming to school in the first place and he vaguely recalled Alya saying she’d had a text to say that she was going to the doctors. _My Lady you really do push yourself too hard…_

   His attention was drawn to the little Red Kwami resting on the girl’s shoulder and peering up at him in alarm, and he offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, although it could have been a grimace, because damn it, he was worried about his Lady. His Lady who was Marinette…who was in his class…who sat behind him every day. _How did I never notice?_ Although it was kind of a relief to know that she and his Lady were one and the same, because more than once in the last few months he had found himself staring at the clumsy girl and feeling how he did when he looked at Ladybug, and he had been worried that he was just fickle, but… _I love both sides of her_ …His arms tightened around her, and this time his smile was more genuine as he glanced at the Kwami.

“It’s okay I won’t tell anyone,” he promised as he held her gaze, and after a moment she nodded at him before snuggling back against Marinette. He had a feeling that she wasn’t going to be willing to talk to him until her chosen was aware of what was going on, and he couldn’t really blame her. He could feel Plagg staring daggers at him for this, and he knew the little Chat Kwami wasn’t going to be happy when he insisted on returning the favour of revealing his identity. I can’t hide from her now though, he thought, unable to resist stroking his hand through her hair before turning to his little companion. “Plagg there’s some cheese in my bag, eat up so we can get La - Marinette.” _Okay, that was going to take some getting used to,_ he thought wincing at the thought of what might happen if they slipped up at school. _We go to school together…I can see my Lady even more often_ , biting his lip he forced himself to focus on the present situation, although he couldn’t stop himself from smiling down at her. “Home.”

_Thank you for trusting me Milady…_

_Marinette…_

**

   It felt bizarre sneaking into her room this time. He’d been there before as both Chat Noir and Adrien of course, but that had been when she was just Marinette. Mow he was hit by the overwhelming awareness that he was in his Lady’s room, and it felt like he was looking at everything with fresh eyes. However, he quickly drew his attention back to her as she mumbled sleepily in his arms, pressing her face against his shoulder and he had to bite his lip. _Milady_ …To be honest, he had amazed that she hadn’t woken up on the journey here, as he had gone for speed rather than finesse, although in a way he was grateful as he had found himself more rattled by the reveal than he’d thought possible.

_My Lady is Marinette…Marinette is my Lady…_

“She needs some of her medicine,” the new voice made him hiss in alarm, instinctively hunching over Marinette and it took him a moment to realise that her Kwami…Tikki, Plagg had whispered in his ear earlier, had taken to the air and was hovering over the bedside table that had clearly been loaded with everything her sick chosen might need. Water, medicine, tissues and even what looked like a little bell in case she needed help, and there was a pang in his chest at the thought that she had parents that would come running if she needed them. However, he wrenched his thoughts away from that potential minefield and instead focused on the prescription bag he could see, his expression darkening even as he headed for the bed. _Medicine? So, you were at the doctor! What the hell were you thinking coming out if you’re that ill?_ He would need to have strong words with her about that, but for now, he was more interested in getting her well again.

   She tried to cling to him when he attempted to lower her onto the bed, and he felt his cheeks heating up slightly at her actions. _Milady_. Eventually he managed to detangle himself, gently arranging her on the bed under the watchful eyes of Tikki and he found himself glancing towards the trapdoor, it was embarrassing enough with just her Kwami, the thought of her parents finding him here in either form was terrifying, but he had no intention of leaving just yet _. I just need to be quiet as a mouse_ …He could imagine her rolling her eyes at him for that thought and his lips quirked up for a moment before he reached for the medicine and water. Guessing that she was probably long overdue for both, although he was reluctant to wake her as she chose that moment to snuggle against the pillow with a peaceful expression on her face.

“Chat Noir…Adrien?” Tikki prompted, and he jumped slightly, tail lashing behind him before he realised he must’ve been sat there too long and he mumbled something that sounded vaguely like an apology before he carefully sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to gently nudge his sleeping lady.

“Milady,” he called softly, watching with interest the way her nose scrunched up as she stirred slightly, recalling her doing the same on their last class trip when she had dozed off on the bed. It had been cute then, but it seemed doubly so now that he knew that she was Ladybug. “Marinette…”

   The use of her proper name got more of a response, and he was fairly sure she had muttered a curse before her eyes cracked open and she blinked up at him with a dazed expression.

“Kitty…Wha…?”

“Take these and then you can go back to sleep,” He said by way of reply, realising that she wasn’t in any state to deal with anything else at the moment and fairly sure that she wasn’t currently aware of what had happened on the rooftop…the fact that he knew who she was, and he had no intention of worrying her about it right now. Seeing the suspicious look in her eyes as she glanced at the medicine in his hand he was reminded of how desperate she had seemed not to be sent to the nurses’ office… _she doesn’t like being ill? Or being taken care of?_ He filed it away to investigate later when she was feeling better, and instead focused on giving her the best puppy-dog eyes he could manage. “Please?”

   With visible reluctance she took the tablets, allowing him to ease her semi-upright and help her sip some water as she downed them, her eyes already threatening to close again. Seeing this he hastily returned the glass of water to the table and helped her lie down once more, carefully tucking the covers around her and trying hard to think about how much he wanted to curl up next to her. Milady…

“Knew…” She was cut off by a yawn, her eyes barely slits now as she peered up at him, but there was a small smile playing on her lips as she added quietly. “I could trust you…Kitty Chat…” Her eyes were shut before he could even try and formulate a response. _She knows…she remembers_ …The same warm feeling from earlier was suffusing his chest once more. _She trusts me_ …It was only the fact that she clearly needed to rest that stopped him from waking her again so that she could see who he really was, but he was more resolved than ever to tell her when she was awake and aware enough to know what was going on _. I’m not disappointed…I hope you won’t be either_ …He thought remembering her earlier plea, and he frowned, realising that his real identity wasn’t the only thing he needed to tell her.

_I like both sides of you Milady…_

**

“We should get home…” Plagg suggested nervously after his partner had sat there for nearly an hour staring at the girl, his transformation long ended. Marinette hadn’t stirred once in that time, although she did seem to be resting easier now, and Tikki had long since dozed off curled up on the pillow beside her apparently deciding that Chat Noir in whatever form wasn’t a threat to her chosen one.

“Just a little longer,” Adrien protested softly, reaching out and ghosting his fingers over Marinette’s cheek. Now that he knew the truth the similarities were screaming at him, and he shook his head, how had he missed it for so long? Cautiously letting his fingers brush against her cheek, he turned his gaze back to Plagg and added softly. “I finally got to find out who she is. I don’t want this to be a dream.”

_Milady…I got to know both sides of you…and I love them both._

****

The next morning:

   Marinette frowned as she drifted towards consciousness, relieved to realise that the headache and nausea from the day before seemed to have receded slightly although she still felt ill. She was just about to roll over and try to get back to sleep, deciding that it wasn’t worth even attempting school after the fiasco of the day before when she felt something warm against her side. Something that was far too large to be her Kwami, and she shot up in bed, immediately taking in Tikki’s curled up form on the pillow beside her before her eyes were drawn to the blond-haired figure sprawled awkwardly at the edge of her bed. Her first thought was of Chat Noir, vague memories of the night before coming to her, but then it dawned on her that there was no Chat suit… no tail…no ears…A soft snuffle caught her attention, and she watched wide-eyed as the boy shifted enough to let her glimpse his face and her heart leapt into her throat.

“ADRIEN?!” She shrieked, the nose sending a bolt of pain through her head, but it also had the desired effect of rousing the sleeping boy, and she watched as he flailed wildly for a moment before rolling off the bed, somehow managing to land neatly and looking surprisingly awake as wide green eyes met her gaze.

“Milady!” He yelped, an ear-splitting grin spreading across his face and for a moment she could only gape at him. _Milady?_ There was only one person that called her that. Only one person that could say that nickname so naturally, with that exact same grin. _What the…?_ His grin faded slightly as he took in her expression and she shuddered to imagine what she must look like at the moment, before getting distracted by the way he was rubbing sheepishly at the back of his head and her eyes widened. She knew that gesture, she had seen Chat Noir do it a dozen times when she scolded him…and she’d seen Adrien do it when flustered in class. “Er…”

“Chat Noir…?” _There was no way…right?_ Her mind was still sluggish from the fever and sleep, but it was beginning to whirl, a hundred different comparisons between the boy she had been crushing on for goodness knows how long and her partner. _I trust you_ …The words echoed in her mind, somewhat hazy but she knew that she had said them to him the night before. _I trust you…_

“I…guess,” Adrien felt himself getting tongue-tied as she continued to stare at him in shock, _damn it why is this so hard?_ He could see that she was slowly connecting the dots, and he sighed before glancing down at the ring on his finger. She had shown him the truth, maybe that was what she needed as well, and with her declaration of trust echoing in his ears, he knew that he couldn’t do anything less. “Plagg! Claws Out!”

   It felt slightly unreal watching him transform, the process similar but yet so different to her own. _They’re one and the same…?_ There really was no denying it at this point, not when she had seen the evidence with her own eyes, and she knew how much courage it must’ve taken to show her… _I trust you…_ He was staring at her now with wide green eyes, and she felt her lips quirking up in a smile. _All this time…you were right there? All those times I spoke to you without stammering…_

“Kitty…” She whispered, voice trembling slightly, but there was none of the shyness that usually overcame her when she was faced with her crush. _He’s my partner_ …She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before cautiously opening them once more, half expecting him to have disappeared, yet he was still there staring at her and looking just as dazed as she felt. _Adrien is Chat Noir…Chat Noir is Adrien._ It was surreal, and yet at the same time, she felt something easing in her chest. For all her playful rejections towards her feline partner’s flirting, she had felt herself melting around him more recently, and she had been worried about what that meant, both for them and for her daydreams about her future with Adrien. _But, they’re one and the same_ …Later she would blame her sudden surge of confidence on that realisation as she couldn’t stop herself from stretching a trembling hand towards him as she whispered softly. “My Kitty?”

“If you’ll have me, Milady,” Adrien said with a hopeful smile, barely managing to contain the urge to bounce up and down, she had smiled at him! She had still called him ‘Kitty’, and even better she had called him ‘Her Kitty’. That was more than he had expected, and he no longer cared how much Plagg was going to complain about this. _She trusts me…she sees me_ … “I…” His words caught in his throat as they heard movement down below, and they both exchanged horrified looks as they heard footsteps heading towards the steps to her room and a quick glance at the clock on the wall confirmed that it was later than either of them had realised.

“The balcony!” She hissed, and he nodded, aware that it would be disastrous for both of them to be caught like this. Besides no matter how accepting her parents might possibly be, they were unlikely to welcome a teenage boy in their daughter’s room at this time in the morning. However, he had barely taken a step towards the door before he felt her hand close on his tail, and when he turned back to look at her, there was a hint of panic in the wide, blue eyes. “Don’t run away!” _Please…_

“I’m not going anywhere Bugaboo,” he smiled at her, watching the relief that swept over her face and then her hand was gone, and he was out of the door and out of sight only seconds before the trapdoor opened and her mother stepped inside.

**

   It had been nearly ten minutes since her mother had come up to see her, but it had been both endearing and entertaining listening to them talking. He found himself trying to drink in everything about her now, about this side of his Lady that he had been unaware of for so long. _Milady_ …Every now and then he would catch her eyes drifting towards the balcony, and the longing and hope in them took his breath away. He had been starting to lose hope that Ladybug would ever see him as anything but her partner, but… _I trust you…My Kitty?_ His hands curled into fists at his side, tail lashing backwards and forwards. Was it possible that she was the same as him? His brow furrowed as he thought back over all their interactions both as classmates and as partners, her stammering and increased clumsiness around him when she was Marinette, he had always just thought it was a quirk. Yet now he couldn’t help but wonder, hope, that maybe it was a sign she liked him… _She likes Adrien…but does she like Chat Noir?_ He already knew that he liked both sides of his Lady and that he had every intention of getting to know Marinette better… _but is that what she wants_?

“Kitty?” The soft question made him jump, and he hissed slightly, before turning bright red as he realised that Marinette was stood in the doorway looking at him with a concerned frown, her blanket wrapped around her and he quickly forgot his embarrassment as he realised that she was shivering. Trusting that she wouldn’t have come out here unless her mother was gone he hurried forward, hesitating for a moment before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and guiding her back inside, flicking the door shut behind him.

“Back to bed Milady,” he ordered, already nudging her in that direction, although he wasn’t surprised when she tried to protest.

“I’m fine.” Unfortunately, her body didn’t seem to agree with those sentiments because she swayed a moment later, wildly reaching for the end of the bed to steady herself, only to find herself gripping his arm instead, and for a moment she contemplated letting go but she had to admit that it was probably the only thing keeping her upright. He didn’t seem to mind, although he couldn’t resist flashing her a teasing grin as he guided her the last few steps to the bed.

“Oh really?”

“Fine…” She could feel her cheeks heating up, but it was nothing like the embarrassment she usually felt around her partner. _Does it make that much difference knowing who he is?_ She glanced up at him as she crawled clumsily back onto the bed, cheeks getting even brighter when he pulled the covers over her, and her voice dropped to a whisper as she added softly. “I’m getting there…”

“You need to stop pushing yourself Mi…Marinette,” he scolded, unable to forget the concern from the previous night. However, he found his thoughts being derailed by the stunned expression on her face as she stared up at him. “What?” It took him a moment to realise that he had called her by her real name, and he found himself blinking at her. _Oops…?_

“It’s too odd…”

“Bad odd?” He asked nervously.

“No,” she shook her head immediately, smiling up at him and watching as he immediately relaxed. It was the same reaction he always had towards Ladybug, and there was a warmth in her chest as she realised that he was reacting to her as though she was her alter-ego even when she was just plain Marinette. “I’m happy…I really am happy. I was worried…” _Terrified…_

“Worried?”

“I…” _Okay, this is embarrassing, why am I doing this again?_ She glanced at him, taking in the expectant look in his green eyes and gathered her confidence, there wasn’t much point in keeping secrets now that they knew their real identities. “I liked you…as Adrien for so long, but then I started to like Chat Noir in the same way, and…”

   His heart was dancing a jig in his chest. _She likes me…both sides of me?_ When she had started to say she liked Adrien, he had been terrified that she was going to say that she didn’t like Chat Noir the same way… _but she does…SHE DOES_! He was barely aware of the purrs rumbling through his chest. _She likes me_ …Buoyed by her confession, and his own happiness. _Take that Plagg_ …He closed the distance between them, reaching out to gently grab one of her hands, beaming when she made no move to pull it free, and he met her gaze.

“I’m the same…” He confessed quietly, feeling a little shy about admitting it, although his smile remained as bright as ever. “I liked you as Ladybug, as Milady…but then I started to get to know you as Marinette, and I liked that side too…I thought I was fickle, but…”

“Kitty…” Marinette whispered, eyes wide as she stared up at him in realisation. _We’re the same_ … her fingers curled around his, and his eyes darted down to their joined hands, staring at them for a moment as though he couldn’t quite believe what they were doing. _You’re not the only one…_ After a moment he straightened, and her breath caught in her throat as she caught the look in his green eyes, and she found herself unable to breath let alone speak as he leant in towards her.

“You trust me, right?”

“Yes,” she managed to get her voice to work for that. _I trust you_ …

“Then close your eyes,” he ordered, and after the briefest moment of hesitation, she obeyed. _What are you up to…?_ Her thoughts skidded to a halt as she felt the gentlest of pressures against her lips, and despite herself, she couldn’t stop her eyes from flying open. He’s _kissing me_ …His eyes were squeezed shut, an expression of nervous excitement written across his face and her lips quirked up. _He really is just a goofy Kitty…_ "You’re peeking Milady…” She squeaked as she realised that his eyes had opened and made to pull back, but his hands were suddenly on her cheeks and holding her in place as he deepened the kiss and she felt her cheeks turn a brilliant red.

_Adrien…Chat Noir is kissing me…._

   When they pulled back a moment later, they were both matching shades of red and wearing equally goofy smiles as they stared at one another. _He likes me…She likes me…_

“So…” Adrien trailed off his ring began to beep, and he stared down at it, to be honest, he had forgotten that he was transformed, and he was about to shrug it off, it wasn’t as though he needed to hide anymore, at least not from her.

“You’re nearly out of time,” Marinette pointed out softly before glancing across at her clock and yelping as she realised the time. There was no she wanted him to leave, but she knew that he couldn’t miss school. They both had enough chaos and missed lessons because of their transformations, and he couldn’t really use her being ill as an excuse. “Look, you’re going to be late for school.” She couldn’t keep the reluctance out of her voice, and she knew that they still had a lot to talk about…their transformations and that kiss…

   He glanced at the clock and sighed as he realised that she was right. While he might be willing to miss school, he knew that he had to be home before Natalie realised he was missing, there was no way he wanted to try and explain where he had been. It helped to realise that his Lady looked just as reluctant to part as he felt.

“I’ll see you this afternoon,” he said with a sigh, although his ears perked up when she smiled, although he didn’t like the surprised look in her eyes. _Now I know you’re not getting rid of me, Milady._ Deciding that it was better to leave the serious topics until later, preferably when she was feeling better, he shot her a cheeky grin as he added cheerfully. “I’ll bring you your homework.”

“How romantic…”

“I’ll even help you with it,” he offered, leaning in before his courage could fail him and pressing another kiss to her cheek before pulling back and smiling down at her, loving the flustered look on her face and knowing that he was the one that had put it there. “See you later Bugaboo,” he murmured, pecking her lightly on the lips again before turning and bolting towards the balcony as his ring beeped again, his own cheeks turning brighter by the moment.

“Silly Kitty…” Marinette whispered as the door closed behind him, unable to keep the silly smile off her face as she snuggled back under the covers, ignoring the knowing look that Tikki shot at her as she let her eyes drift shut.

_My Kitty…_


End file.
